Brake head



Jan. 22, 1935. l-:. G. BussE Er Al.

BRAKE HEAD Filed June 1, 1931 5 Sheets-5h98t l Jan. 22, 1935. E. G, Bussi-2 Er Al.

BRAKE HEAD 3 Sheets-Sheet It?- Filed June 1, 1931 fia 14 M ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES BRAKE HEAD Edwin G. Busse and Euclid E. Griest, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Illinois Chicago, Ill., a corporation .of

Application June 1, 1931,Seral No. 541,442

10 Claims.

The invention relates to railway rolling st-ock brake structure and consists in the manufacture of a brake head of relatively soft metal having inserts of relatively hardmetal at points where the head is subjected to excessive wear, whereby the useful life of the head is prolonged.

'Ihe main object of the invention is to reduce maintenance expense not only by prolonging the life of the head, as indicated, but also by maintaining the brake shoe in its proper position relavtive to the wheel thereby avoiding excessive wear on the shoe because of dragging of the shoe on the wheel.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention- Figure 1 is a side View of a brake head, shoe, and key, the adjacent portion of the Wheel and brake hanger being indicated also.

Figure 2 is a front View of the brake head.

Figure la is a detail of one of the hardened steel inserts shown in Figures r1r and 2.

Figure 2a is a detail of another of the'hardcned steel insertsshown in'Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 3 is a section through a brakel head center lug and insert showing another form of insert.

Figures 4 and 5 are a front View and a vertical section, respectively, showing another form of insert and the adjacent portion of the toe, Figure 5 being taken on line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figures 6 and 7 are a similar front view and a vertical section, respectively, showing 4another modiiicati'on, Figure 7. being taken 'on line l7--7 of Figure 6.

Figures 8 and 9 are a front View and a horizontal section, respectively, illustrating another modication, Figure 9 being taken on line 9 -9 of Figure 8.

Figures 10 and 1l are a similar view and a sec- 40 tion, respectively, illustrating another modiiication, Figure 11 being taken on line 11--11 of Figure 10.

Figures 12 and 13 are a similar View and a section, respectively, illustrating another modification, Figure 13 being taken on line 13-13 of Figure 12.

Figures 14 and 15 are a similar View and section, respectively, illustrating another modication, Figure 15 being taken on line 15-15 of Figure 14.

Figures 16 and 17 are a similar View and section, respectively, illustrating another modificaltion, Figure 17 being taken on line 17-17 of Figure 16. A

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a brake head cormsk vlugs'provides for distribution of the braking force (Cl. 18S-236) brakes are set and is renewed from time to time 5 'as it wears down, has the usual top andbottom lugs 9 and 10 protruding to t between the top and bottom toes of the head and has the usual center lug 11 positioned between the center lugs 3 0 and 4 of the head. The shoemay be supported by the engagement of its center lug with the. lower center lug of the head-and the engagement between the top vand bottom head toes and shoe throughout the length of the shoe. The shoe is 5 held in assembled relation with the head by means of a key 12 which passes through openings in the head toes and shoe centerA lug inthe usual manner.

Theoretically, .the shoes will swing free of the wheels except when the brakes are applied.V In practice, however, Vit is common 4for the top of a shoe to drag on the wheel which loosens up the holding key and results in a continuous pounding or other movement between the shoe and head and particularly between shoe center lug l1 and head supporting lug 4 and between uppershoe lug 9 and its backing head toe 1. The brake head is usually formed of malleable iron casting or 30 `of cast steel and is of softer metal than the grey iron shoe and the relative movement referred to tends to wear `down the toes 4 and 9 to Asuch an extent that theL brake head must frequently be replaced solely because of such wear. 35

To avoid this condition, wehave provided hard steel inserts 13 and 14 in toe 1 and lug 4,respectively, these insertsbeing formed previous to the casting of the head and placed in the head mold with their shoe contacting faces against the wall of the mold. The metal of` the body of thehead is then poured into the mold and around the insert. Each insert comprises a wide working portion, forming a` shoe` contacting face for the head, and an extension 15 and-16,-.respective1y, 45

of .smaller section projecting inwardly from the working portion and provided with av recessed portion into and around which the metal of the head may ow to retain the insert against removal. Thesel extensions are in the formlof ears having central openings 17 extending transversely therethrough and parallel with the faces of the inserts. I

vInserts 13, like toes 1, are separate from each other in order to receive the shoe` lug between them. The working portion of insert 14 on head lug 4 extends across the width of the head and shoe and the extensions 16 are spaced apart and are of relatively small section as compared with the working portion of the insert.

The inserts are preferably made of manganese steel havinga 51% manganese content and preferably the insert is coated with a tin ux tofacilitate fusing of the insert with the metal of the body of the head. This coating tends to eliminate the production of gas and resulting blow holes, We have found that such inserts may be successfully embedded in the molten iron ofthe head and will withstand the annealing temperatures. of around? 1500 or 1600 degrees Fahrenheit by which the head is softened and toughened. A Brinell test after annealing the head showsythat. the insert,

has a hardness of 477 against from the malleable iron body of the head.

Figure 3, illustrates a mod cation of .the shoe rsvu'iziprnlting lug in which two separate inserts are itsflanges 22 form lateral projections for engagement by the retaining lips of the body'oi the lug. Another front insert` 42 is simply a truncated pyramidal' block with its laterally projecting walls embedded in the, body of the lug.

In Figures 4 and 5, the working portion of the insert 23 isy similarly of less area than the face of the lug 24 and' the retaining extension 25' is at the lower portion of the insert. p

In Figuresl 6 and 7', the insert 26 is also of less area thanthe face of 'the lug 2'7`and the retaining extensions comprise conicalv elements 28 surround,- ed by the metal of the body ofk the lug.

Figures 8 and 9l illustrate an insert 29 with'v a rearwardly extending web 30 running the full length of the insert and having lateralv flanges 3 1- at its inner edgeA for engagement` by the metal or the body of lug 32.

Figures 10 and 1,1 illustrateA a top insert 33 in the form of a truncated pyramidal block with its base being embedded in the bodyv of the lug134.

Figures, 12 and 13A illustratesimilar inserts 35 applied to the shoe suppcrtinglug 36 and' having no vconnectionwith each, other.

In Figures 14 and 15, the'insert' 38 hasi anv upper lip 39 and the portions; of the' body ofthe head indicated at 40-form spaced retaining elements for the insert.

I-n Figures 16 and 1'7f, the insertrhas aV shoe contacting-portion 43 at the outer endk of' a` shank 44 and a lateral projection45` on the other end ofl the shank mayl be embedded in the corresponding wall ofl the mold` so'that the metal 46 of the body of the head`r` may fi'ow around the shank between portions 43 andf'45 to secure the insert in position. i

All forms of the invention described embody the essential feature ofv a hard metal bearing for mounting the shoe on the head toavoid undue wear of-the soft metal' head duetoipounding or other movement of' the shoe thereon; In the preferred formsof the invention; the majorY portion of; the face, Otthebrake-head' shoe-engaging lugs and toes are formed-by'relatively thin contactleleme'nts; ofehardersteel held in place byretaining extensions or projections ofl relatively small extent whereby thev body of the` shoe and toes-maybecast around-aportion oftheinsert with the minimum application of heat to' theinsert due to-theface of Y'the `latterfbeing in contact with the fsurfaceof f'themoldf out foregoing the advantages of the ordinary malleable heads.

The percentage of manganese in the inserts may differ from that mentioned herein up to 12 or 15'y percent and. the inserts could be formed of material other-tha-nrnanganese steel such as high carbon steel and' other alloys, for examples, chrome nickel, vanadium, tungsten, chrome vanadium, chrome-molybdenum, all of which will retain their hardness even after the body of the head has been. annealed. We` iind, for instance,

.that a carbon steel will have a scleroscope scale of 2,2, annealed vanadium steel, 35 to 45,

chromenickel steel, 4 7'. Itis, truethat these al'.-

Nevertheless, inserts of thesev variousv alloys. are considerably higher in theirY annealed state with.- Qut the special hardening process thanis malleable iron or cast steel, out of which the average brake head` body is preferably made. However, we have found. the percentage named to be satisfactory and we believe the manganese steel insert will be serviceable and economical. If' desired', all ofthe lugs could include thev harder inserts although usually this will not be necessary. Other modications of the composition and form of the insert and other details. of the invention may be. madewithout departing fromv the spirit of our invention and we contemplate the exclusive use of'those devices which come within the spirit of our claims. Y

What is claimed is:

1.. Ina railway brake head havinglugs and toes for engagingand mountingthe brake shoe, spaced inserts of`metal harder than the body of the lugs and'having center. lugs above and below the hanger recess, a relatively hard metal insert forming a relatively' small'part only of the front face of. the top toe to contact. with the rear faceA of the brake shoe. and another relatively hard metal insert forming a relatively small partv only of the upper face of vthecenter lug below the hanger recess, for contact with.the lower face of `the intermediate lug of the shoe whereby undue wear of the head toes; and lug, at these two points, is avoided and 'the' position ofthe shoe relative to the Wheel is maintained, theratio between the mass of each ofthe' toes to its individualinsert being so great 'that the toe body cast metal may crystallize in solidifying without being suii'iciently chilled by its insert to` substantially alect the toughness of the toe cast metal about the insert..

3. In a railway brake. head of relatively soft metal having shoe mounting toes and lugs, relatively hard metal inserts forming relatively small parts' onlyf'of the shoe contacting faces of the loy steels are usually used in connection with a special heat vtreating and annealing process.

toes and lugs whereby undue wear of the head, toes and lugs at the shoe engaging points is avoided and the position of the shoe relative to the wheel is maintained, the ratio of said inserts to said toes being so small that the head structure which supports the shoe is not weakened substantially.

4. In a railway brake head, a body of relatively soft metal having a portion disposed to engage and relatively locate a brake part associated with the head, and an insert of relatively small size and of more durable material imbedded in said portion to contact with said part, the relatively soft metal of said portion being cast about said insert and forming a face for engaging said part at the side of said insert.

5. A brake head as specified in claim 1 in which the insert has a deeply recessed portion spaced from its shoe contacting face and receiving the metal of the body of the head to hold the insert therein.

6, A brake head as specified in claim l in which the insert has a portion extending rearwardly from its shoe contacting face and provided with a transverse aperture nlled with the metal of the body of the head to retain the insert in position.

7. In a railway brake head, a lug for mounting the brake shoe, an insert of metal harder than the body of the lug metal disposed to contact with a part of the shoe to prevent wear of said lug due to relative movement or pounding of the shoe, said insert having a deeply recessed portion spaced from its shoe contacting face and receiving the metal of the lug body to more securely hold the insert in position.

8. In a railway brake head, a lug for mounting the brake shoe, an insert of metal harder than the body of the lug metal disposed to contact with a part of the shoe to prevent wear of said lug due to relative movement or pounding of the shoe, said insert having a portion extending rearwardly from its shoe contacting face and provided with a transverse aperture lled with the metal of the lug body to more securely hold the insert in position.

9. A railway brake head having lugs and toes for mounting the brake shoe, the bodies of said lugs and toes being of cast iron and annealed, there being spaced inserts of manganese steel in at least one of said lugs and toes, said body metal being cast about the inserts and forming a shoe engaging face at the sides of said inserts.

10. In a railway brake head, a lug of annealed cast iron for mounting the brake shoe, an insert of manganese steel located in said lug to contact with a part of the shoe to prevent Wear of said lug due to relative movement or pounding of said shoe, said insert having a deeply recessed portion spaced from its shoe contacting face and receiving the metal of the lug body to more securely hold the insert in position.

EDWIN G. BUSSE. EUCLID E. GRIEST. 

